The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has reported a significant improvement in the Class 10 SSLC Exam-1 results for 2026, with regular fresh candidates achieving an impressive pass percentage of 94.1%. This marks a substantial rise compared to last year’s 80.04%, reflecting stronger academic outcomes across the state.
Out of 7,70,209 regular fresh students who appeared for the examination, as many as 7,24,794 successfully cleared it. Overall, 8,56,516 candidates had registered and taken the exam across 2,870 centres in Karnataka. The data released by the board highlights a consistent improvement across multiple performance indicators.
Girls have once again outperformed boys, recording a pass percentage of 96.18%, while boys achieved 91.94%, showing a notable increase from 74.25% in the previous year. Rural schools have slightly surpassed urban institutions with a pass rate of 94.80%, compared to 93.2% in urban areas. Additionally, 6,176 schools across the state achieved a 100% pass result, underscoring widespread academic success.
Subject-wise performance has also remained strong, with pass percentages exceeding 97% in key subjects such as Mathematics, Science, and Social Science. The improvement is further reflected in grade distribution, where 66.5% of students scored 60% and above, a marked rise from 50.8% last year.
In light of the improved results, Karnataka’s School Education Minister, Madhu Bangarappa, announced that the board will not conduct a third SSLC examination during the 2025–26 academic cycle. The decision signals a shift from the earlier three-exam format, which provided multiple opportunities for students to improve or clear subjects. According to the minister, the strong performance this year has eliminated the need for an additional exam window, and the system will now continue with only two examination opportunities.
Students who were unable to clear Exam-1 will still have the chance to appear for Exam-2 under the supplementary framework. The board is expected to release detailed schedules and application guidelines for the upcoming examination separately.
Further analysis of school management categories shows that unaided schools recorded a pass percentage of 95.4%, followed by government schools at 93.97% and aided institutions at 92.44%. The minister also highlighted the considerable improvement in boys’ performance as one of the key achievements of this year’s results.
Despite discontinuing the third examination, the board will continue to offer provisions for revaluation, recounting, and obtaining photocopies of answer scripts through online platforms and KarnatakaOne centres. Additionally, fee exemptions have been introduced for regular fresh students with ‘Not Completed’ results in Exam-1, as well as for candidates appearing for improvement in the third language. Standard fees will apply for other categories.
With these changes, the SSLC 2025–26 academic cycle will proceed with a revised two-exam structure, a move directly linked to the improved academic performance observed across the state.